Family Gardening

Many people have fond memories of their grandparents. Let's face it, they are the best when you’re a little kid. Most grandparents are full of amazing stories about their lives and they create fun memories. Here are some fun ideas for family gardening that we have learned from grandparents.

Fun Ideas We Got from Our Grandparents

Pick a Theme

A child’s imagination is limitless, which is why this is such a great idea. Let the children pick their favourite movie, superhero, book, or character. Once they choose, you can help them create a garden from their imagination.

The greatest part about this is that you can usually use items that are already in your household. You can also use recyclable materials as well, which will help the environment. After all, a child’s imagination is so important.

Designated Space

If you want to get a child involved in gardening, you should give them their own space. You can use garden boxes, buckets, or other items to give them their own small area. Let them plant whatever they would like inside their space, this will help them make decisions and feel independent.

Encourage them to continue with their gardening and praise their efforts, even if their rows are crooked or if nothing grows. Giving them their own little area of a garden can also teach them responsibility.

Create a Masterpiece

Gardens that have vibrant coloured plants and flowers a great aesthetic appeal. Why not create a masterpiece? You can buy already potted plants, which will make the process quicker. Try to put colours together, or create a picture out of the different flowers.

Save Those Beverages

If you drink coffee or tea, that can actually help you with your gardening. You can use tea bags and coffee grounds to add to your compost. Tea is supposed to help with azaleas and other plants, while coffee grounds are great for squash and tomatoes.

You don’t want to place too much though. You can run the risk of getting mold, which would not be good for your garden. If you don’t drink coffee, you can ask some of your local coffee shops if you can have their old coffee grounds. Some may even give them free of charge.

Water Properly

It is best you to water in the morning, there typically isn’t a lot of heat during the morning. Less heat means a smaller chance of the water evaporating, giving your garden more water. You also want to continue to water new plants, it will help them grow.

Keep a Journal

This is a great idea to help you determine what works best for your area. You can find tips online, or from word of mouth, but everyone’s soil and yard is different. Keeping a journal will help you have the best garden.

You don’t necessarily need to keep one every year, but you should until you see optimal results in your garden. Keep track of when you water, how often you water, what fertiliser and mulches you use, and other factors that go into gardening.

Upcycle to Save Money

If you haven’t heard of upcycling, you should look into it! Basically, it is finding new uses for other items that you no longer have use for, many people do this to save money.

You can use old pill boxes to save seeds and separate them as well if you have a weekly pill box. You can create your own watering can from an old milk jug as well, all you need is a clean jug and a pair of scissors.

You can reuse your dryer lint, either for your plants, or for the birds. If you place the lint outside for birds, they can use it to help build their nests. You can also place lint in the bottom of a planter, and it will help lock in moisture for your plants.

Build a Treehouse

Building a treehouse can be fun, and add some fun to your garden as well. While it can get expensive to build one, you can usually build one for a reasonable price. You can ask stores for their old wooden pallets, and use that wood for a lot of it.

You can also re-purpose old rope for a swing attached to the treehouse. Building a treehouse can also give you a fresh perspective on your garden. You’ll be able to see it from above, which will be like seeing it for the first time.

Composting

If you don’t compost for your garden, you really should consider it. It reduces your waste, and helps your garden thrive as well. You can teach your children or grandchildren how to compost as well, it’s very simple.

The greatest part about composting is that it is basically free fertiliser. You can place a lot of different items in your heap, including egg shells, fruit peels, spoiled nondairy milks, cooked pasta and rice, stale cereal, and so much more. Many of these items would have ended up in the trash anyways, so why not reuse it?